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ANNUAL POPULATION CHANGE - YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 2015


AUSTRALIA: POPULATION AND GROWTH

The preliminary estimated resident population (ERP) of Australia at 31 March 2015 was 23,714,300 people. This reflects an increase of 316,000 people since 31 March 2014 and 93,900 people since 31 December 2014.

The annual population growth rate for the year ended 31 March 2015 was 1.4%.

COMPONENTS OF POPULATION CHANGE

The growth of Australia's population has two components: natural increase (the number of births minus the number of deaths) and net overseas migration (NOM).

The contribution to population growth for the year ended 31 March 2015 was higher from net overseas migration (55%) than from natural increase (45%).

Natural Increase

The preliminary estimate of natural increase for the year ended 31 March 2015 was 142,900 people, a decrease of 9.7%, or 15,400 people, compared with natural increase for the year ended 31 March 2014 (158,300 people).

Births

The preliminary estimate of births for the year ended 31 March 2015 (298,400 births) decreased by 8,800 births from the year ended 31 March 2014 (307,200 births).

Deaths

The preliminary estimate of deaths for the year ended 31 March 2015 (155,500 deaths) increased by 6,600 deaths from the year ended 31 March 2014 (148,900 deaths).


Net Overseas Migration

For the year ended 31 March 2015, Australia's preliminary net overseas migration (NOM) estimate was 173,100 people. This was 16.0% (33,000 people) lower than the net overseas migration estimated for the year ended 31 March 2014 (206,100 people).

NOM arrivals decreased by 2.0% (9,900 people) between the years ended 31 March 2014 (485,400 people) and 31 March 2015 (475,500 people).

NOM departures increased by 8.3% (23,100 people) between the years ended 31 March 2014 (279,300 people) and 31 March 2015 (302,400 people).

The preliminary net overseas migration estimate for the March quarter 2015 (58,800 people) was 15.9% (11,100 people) lower than the estimate for the March quarter 2014 (69,900 people).


STATES AND TERRITORIES: POPULATION AND GROWTH

The preliminary estimated resident population for each state and territory at 31 March 2015 was as follows:

• New South Wales 7,596,600;
• Victoria 5,914,900;
• Queensland 4,766,700;
• South Australia 1,696,200;
• Western Australia 2,587,000;
• Tasmania 516,100;
• Northern Territory 243,800; and
• Australian Capital Territory 389,700.

All states and territories recorded positive population growth in the year ended 31 March 2015. Victoria recorded the fastest growth rate of all states and territories at 1.7%. The Northern Territory recorded the slowest growth rate at 0.2%.


COMPONENTS OF POPULATION CHANGE

At the state and territory level, population growth has three components: natural increase, net overseas migration and net interstate migration.

Although all states and territories experienced positive population growth in the year ended 31 March 2015, the proportion that each of these components contributed to population growth varied between the states and territories.

For the year ended 31 March 2015, natural increase was the major component of population change in Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. Net overseas migration was the major component of population change in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. A net interstate migration loss was the largest component of population change in the Northern Territory. Net interstate migration losses were recorded in all states and territories except for Victoria and Queensland.


Natural Increase

Births

Compared with the previous year, the total number of births registered for the year ended 31 March 2015 decreased in all states and territories except for Western Australia, which recorded an increase in birth registrations of 1.8%.

The largest percentage decrease was recorded in Victoria, decreasing by 7.3% (5,600 births). This was followed by Tasmania (down 4.6%) and New South Wales (down 3.1%). For more information, see table 13.

Deaths

The total number of deaths registered for the year ended 31 March 2015 increased in all states and territories. The Australian Capital Territory recorded the largest percentage increase at 7.5% (130 people). This was followed by New South Wales (up 6.1%) and Queensland (up 4.8%). For more information, see table 14.

Preliminary estimates of births and deaths are subject to fluctuations caused by lags or accumulations in the reporting of birth and death registrations (for more information see paragraphs 10-11 of the Explanatory Notes).


Net Overseas Migration

All states and territories recorded positive NOM for the year ending 31 March 2015. Only the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania recorded an increase when compared with the previous year (22.7% and 0.9% respectively). All other states and territories recorded decreases in NOM when compared with the previous year. The largest percentage decrease in NOM was recorded in the Northern Territory at 55.9% (by 1,300 people). This was followed by Western Australia, which decreased by 42.5% (by 11,400 people), and Queensland which decreased by 35.1% (by 11,300 people). For more information, see table 16.

NOM arrivals

Compared with the previous year, half of all the states and territories recorded decreases in NOM arrivals in the year ended 31 March 2015. Western Australia recorded the largest decrease in both percentage and numbers at 15.2% (10,100 people). This was followed by the Northern Territory at 12.5% (800 people), Queensland at 8.1% (7,200 people) and South Australia at 1.6% (400 people). Increases in NOM arrivals were recorded in the Australian Capital Territory at 8.0% (700 people), Tasmania 6.7% (250 people), Victoria 4.6% (5,700 people) and New South Wales 1.2% (2,000 people). For more information, see table 16.

NOM departures

Compared with the previous year, the number of NOM departures increased in all states and territories in the year ended 31 March 2015. The largest percentage increase was recorded in Victoria at 14.5% (9,400 people) and the Northern Territory at 11.4% (490 people). This was followed by Tasmania at 9.6% (240 people), South Australia 8.0% (1,000 people), New South Wales 7.1% (6,600 people), Queensland 7.0% (4,000 people), the Australian Capital Territory 3.7% (230 people) and Western Australia at 3.1% (1,200 people). For more information, see table 16.


Net Interstate Migration

In the year ended 31 March 2015, only Victoria and Queensland recorded net interstate migration (NIM) gains. Victoria continued a recent trend of recording the highest gain with 9,800 people, up from 8,400 people in the year ended 31 March 2014. This was followed by Queensland with 6,200 people, which was up from 5,800 in the previous year. Net losses from interstate migration were recorded in New South Wales (6,200 people), the Northern Territory (3,400 people), South Australia (3,000 people), Western Australia (1,300 people) and Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory (both 1,100 people). For more information, see table 17.